It's
not that time really stands still in the Caribbean,
or that it even runs backwards. Things just won't always happen
as quickly or as precisely as you may be accustomed to.

This
characteristic varies enough from island to island that each
seems to have its own unique set of clocks.
It drives many visitors crazy the first few days.

No
doubt about it, "Caribbean time" or "island time," can
be frustrating. After rushing to put things in order at work, dashing around
to shop and then pack, and hurrying to the airport, many visitors
arrive
in the Caribbean in warp drive.

Some
quickly get upset when islanders don't share the same sense of time
pressure. Others become angry if locals don't respond as promptly
or as efficiently to every request as employees or service personnel do back
home.

There
are two ways to deal with the situation--a situation none
of us is going to change. Either adapt to it, or
fight it.

Yes,
your visit is on a time budget. You want to fit in as much
as you can--but you also want to enjoy every activity as much as possible.

The best thing is to decompress from Western-style living and do nothing
the day of your arrival except have something to drink, eat, look around
a little and go to sleep early. You should wake up in a more relaxed mood. If you arrive tired and stay tired,
your vacation may turn into a sour one.

Find
out what the time flow is and go with it. Do things usually
start 10 minutes late? Or is the average closer to 20
or 30 minutes? Or maybe--and this actually does happen on quite a
few islands--real time is the norm.

The
amazing thing is that if you don't try and fight the system, everything eventually
gets done. Perhaps not in the way you expect, but it eventually
happens.

After their first few days and after getting acclimated to the possible delays, many visitors to Jamaica quickly adopt the phrase "No problem" as part of their vocabulary.

And "soon come," another popular island phrase when things do not happen at the appointed time.

Islanders
are used to impatient tourists. Anything you have to say to them
won't be something they haven't heard before. And, don't
ever forget, they are in the position of power.

As
one local explained to me, "Here's how we work. Push, you don't
get much. Take it easier, get much more."

And
have a happier time, too.

Some
visitors never do adapt to the concept of Caribbean time.
They usually don't go back.

There is, however, a difference between
poor service and doing things at a different tempo. Definitely complain
about poor service.